Higher Taste

Hot Spiced Tea (Masala Chai)

Whenever I make this tea at home, I use a naturally caffeine-free tea from the plant Aspalathus linearis called Rooibos, that is grown on the slopes of South Africa’s Cedarberg mountains. It is available at well-stocked supermarkets as Rooi tea (pronounced “Roy”). The tea lends itself well to this version of the ubiquitous spicy chai available all over the Indian Subcontinent. Serves 4.

4 cups water
one 6cm cinnamon stick
10 green cardamom pods
10 whole cloves
1¼ cups milk
2½ tablespoons sugar, or to taste
6 teaspoons Rooibos tea, or 2 bagsBring to the boil the water, along with the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, in a medium saucepan over full heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Return to the boil, drop in the Rooibos tea, remove from the heat, cover and set aside for 5 minutes.

I’m in Sydney, tending to my father, who is still recovering from a pretty savage open-heart surgery. Cooking is my first service today, and as my father requested ‘rice pudding cooked just like my mum used to make’, I checked out a few recipes.

My recipe for kheer (Indian-style sweet creamed rice dessert) is a bit different to the one he was accustomed to eat. Here’s some information about this vast subject:Rice puddings are found in nearly every area of the world. Recipes can greatly vary even within a single country. The dessert can be boiled or baked. Different types of pudding vary depending on preparation methods and the ingredients selected. The following ingredients are regularly found in rice puddings.

Kheer (Pakistani/Indian) with slow-boiled milkFirni (Pakistani/Afghan/North Indian) with broken rice, cardamom and pistachio served cold.Middle East

Firni (Afghan/Pakistani) Rice ground to powder cooked with milk and sugar, usually flavored with cardamom, garnished with slivers of pistachios and almonds, as well as with gold or silver warq (decorative, edible foil). Today, restaurants offer firni in a wide range of flavours including mango, fig, custard apple, etc.Sütlaç (Turkish) with milk and vanillaMuhallebi (Turkish) with rice flourMoghlie (Arab) with anise and gingerRiz bi Haleeb (Arab) with rose waterShola-e-zard (Persian) with saffronEurope

Arroz con leche (Latin American) varied preparationArroz con dulce (Puerto Rican) with coconut milk
That reminds me – I tasted an amazing rice pudding in Istanbul, suppled to me by one of my students named Ramiz. Here’s a photo I took of it, and below is the slightly rough recipe given to me by another Turkish friend. I think this is the one I’ll make today,

Wash and drain the rice. Bring 3 cups of water to boil and add rice to water. When rice is cooked, drain it. Place rice and milk on heat. When mixture begins to boil, add sugar and stir occasionally, then turn the heat down. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Make a paste of the rice flour with a little amount of water and stir into milk mixture and continue stirring. Simmer some more. Turn off heat and add vanilla extract. Pour pudding in individual containers, and bake until brown on top. Serve warm or hot, or let cool.

Succulent Mixed Vegetable Balls in Herbed Tomato Sauce (Kofta)

Koftas are succulent, Indian style vegetable balls that can be served soaking in sauce or smothered in gravy. A number of vegetables are suitable for making kofta – potato, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach and radish are the most popular. My favourite kofta are made from a mixture of cauliflower and cabbage and served on a bed of steaming hot rice, or as illustrated, couscous. Try these succulent delights either as part of a main meal or as an accompanying savoury. Makes 24 koftas.

The sauce:
Heat the oil in a saucepan over moderate heat. When hot, drop in the bay leaves and saute for 1 minute or until fragrant. Sprinkle in the yellow asafetida powder, and fry momentarily.

Stir in the tomato puree and basil. Raise the heat, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until a little reduced. Add in the salt, pepper and sugar, remove from the heat and keep warm.

The koftas:
Combine all the kofta ingredients in a bowl until well mixed. Roll the mixture into 24 balls. Heat the oil for deep-frying in a wok or deep pan over fairly high heat to about 180° C / 350° F. Carefully drop in 6-8 balls.

Fry the koftas for 2 or 3 minutes or until they rise to the surface and start to colour.

Reduce the heat to low, and fry for another 8-10 minutes, or until they are a deep reddish brown.

Remove and drain on paper towels. Increase the oil temperature to its original temperature, and repeat the frying procedure for the remaining batches of koftas.

Serve: soak the koftas in the hot sauce 10 minutes before serving time to allow them to fully soak and become plump and succulent.

Wash the rice and let it dry in the sift. Heat 1 tbsp of ghee in a small saucepan on medium heat. Sauté the spices for a short moment, then add the rice and fry both briefly together.Add the broth or water (500-600 ml), let boil and then simmer on low heat.

In the meantime wash and cut the vegetables. Heat 1 tbsp of ghee on a medium casserole and briefly roast the vegetables, add some water and boil the vegetables till tender.

Add the well boiled rice to the vegetables, as well as the sea salt, the pepper and the sweet paprika. Fold the grated cheese and the cream under.

Heat the ghee in a medium casserole and roast (sauté) the cumin. When the cumin is brown, add the cashew nuts and sauté both for app. 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir until the rice becomes translucent. Pour in the water and the salt. Bring to a boil, cover and let it simmer until all water has been absorbed and the rice is soft. Don’t steer the rice.

Wash the rice in a siff and let it drip dry. Bring the water and the salt to a boil in a casserole. Heat the ghee in a medium casserole and fry the cumin seeds in the hot ghee.

Add the cinnamon, bay leaves, ginger and the cardamom as soon as the cumin is dark. Stir all while adding the rice. Within 1 to 2 minutes, when the rice turns translucent, pour the hot salt water. Cover the casserole and let it boil for 15-18 minutes on a small temperature. Do not lift the cover, nor stir the rice until all the water has evaporated.

Wash the rice in a siff and let it dry. Heat the ghee in a medium size casserole, add the mustard seeds. Cover the casserole immediately. When the mustard seeds have stopped to sputter, add fennel seeds and the ginger.

Add the rice and roast all while stirring constantly. Then add the water.Turn the heat down when everything boils and let simmer for about 15 min. Open the casserole five minutes before the rice is soft and with a folk mix the yoghurt and the butter under the rice. Then cover again and let simmer until al the water has been absorbed.

Soak the rice and let it drip dry. Kneed the paneer until soft and roll into little balls. Fry the paneer balls in ghee or coconut oil until they are golden brown. Dissolve the saffron and the sugar in warm milk. Then soak the raisins and the cheese balls in the milk.

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large casserole and roast the rice for 3 minutes while stirring. When the rice is slightly translucent add the water and the salt. Bring all to a boilm, then cover and let simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the cheese balls from the milk.

After the 10 minutes, add the milk with the raisins, as well as the nuts to the rice and stir carefully. The rice grain should remain whole. Cover the casserole again and let simmer for another 10 minutes, until the rice is soft. Uncover to let the steam evaporate. In the end, add the butter and garnish with the cheese balls.

Boil the water with the salt and the tumeric, lower the heat and let it sit covered. Melt the ghee in a different casserole, add the asafetida, stir and then add the rice and roast it for app. 2 minutes. Add the water and mix all. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for app 15-20 minutes, until all the water has evaporated. Add the peas 5 minutes before the rice is soft.

When the rice is soft add the roasted cashew nuts and the finely chopped parsley.

Wash the rice in a sift and let drip dry. Cut the paneer in 2,5 cm cubes and fry at medium heat until the cubes are golden brown.

Dissolve the turmeric, 2 tsp salt in a cup of warm water or whey and soak the paneer cubes in this mixture. Pour the rest of the salt into the water for the rice..

Melt the ghee in a medium casserole and roast the cardamom and the cloves for a few minutes. Add the rice and sauté everything until the rice becomes translucent (about 1-2 minutes) pour the water with the remaining salt into the rice and bring to a boil. Stir once and lower the heat and let simmer for app. 20 minutes. (Don’t stir again)

Softly lift the drip dried paneer cubes and some butter under the rice.

Heat the ghee in a wok or a large frying pan. As soon as the ghee is hot add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds stop sputtering add the other spices. Then add the eggplants and roast briefly and then add the cayenne, corianders and the turmeric. Stir constantly at medium heat, until the eggplants are covered with spices on all sides.

Now a dd the chopped tomatoes and bring to a boil. Let boil for 15 minutes, until almost all liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are almost dry. Stir once or twice. Take from the stove and add the sugar, lemon juice and the salt.

Mix the salt, caraway and the herbs. Brush the potatoes clean and cut them lengthwise in halves. Dip each half into the herb mix, the cut side facing downwards. Then place the potatoes, again the cut side facing downwards, on an oiled cookie sheet for baking. Brush the olive oil over the potatoes and sprinkle with the remaining seasoning. Bake at 180 C -2000 C in a preheated oven in the middle for 30-40 minutes until soft.

Wash the cauliflower and cut it into florets. Boil the florets in the saltwater until they are half done. Pour the water out and let the florets dry. Mix the bread crumbs with the paprika. Dip the boiled florets into the flour, then the milk and then the paprika bread crumbs. Bake the covered florets slowly in a little bit of hot oil.

Deep fry the paneer until golden brown. Use a ladle or skimmer to take the paneer out of the ghee. Let the paneer soak in a liquid made out of of 3 tsp salt, 2 tsp turmeric and 2 cups warm whey or water.
Heat the ghee in a small pot over moderate heat. Sprinkle in the cumin seeds, fry until a few shades darker, and add the ground ginger. Sprinkle in the yellow asafoetida powder. Stir in tomatoes and peas. Cook over moderate heat until cooked. Add paneer and salt.

Heat the ghee in a small pot over moderate heat, when hot sprinkle in cloves, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and ground cardamom, fry for 30 seconds while stiring constantly. Add potatoes and toast them for about 3 Minutes or until golden. Add turmeric and stir, add water, close the lid and cook for about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, peas, ground ginger, nutmeg, sugar and salt, cook for another 5 minutes. Pour in sour cream, minces parsley, almonds and fried paneer.

Grind the cloves and cardamom, put aside. Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a small pot over moderate heat, pour in potatoe cubes and stir with a wooden spoon until golden brown. Put the potatoes into a separate bowl and keep aside. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in the same pot, add ginger, turmeric and then add the cabbage. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in the same pot, roast ground ginger, add turmeric and then the cabbage. Fry for 3-4 minutes, stiring occasionally. Then add tomatoes, potatoes, salt sugar und water. Let simmer over moderate temperature heat until cooked. Before serving add ground cloves and cardamom.

Heat the ghee in a wok or a pot over moderate heat, when hot sprinkle in cumin seeds, fry until a few shades darker add the tomatoes, stir once in a while. Then add the paneer, pea and turmeric. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add salt and pepper. When cooked pour in sour cream, garnish with minced parsley.

Clean away all withered leaves. Then cut off the big, green stems and put the fresh greens aside. Cut the bulb lengthwise into quarters and the stems in an angle. In a cooking pot bring salty water to a boil. Add the quartered fennel and the stems and let simmer for approximate five minutes.

In the meantime wash and then cube the tomatoes. Cut the fennel green into tiny pieces. Give the barely steamed fennel into a siff, briefly rinse with cold water and then let it dry. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Grease the baking dish and add the fennel. Cover the fennel with the tomatoes and a little salt. Mix the breadcrumbs with the cheese, some pepper and the fennel greens and spread it over the tomatoes. Cut the butter into small flakes and distribute over all.

Cut the vegetables into small peaces. Melt butter in a small pot over moderate heat. Add semolina and toast over moderate heat until golden.
In the mean time heat the ghee in another pot over moderate heat, when hot sprinkle in the mustard seeds and immediately put the lid on. Wait until they have finished crackling, then add cumin and methi, fry until a few shades darker, then add ground coriander. Then add the vegetables and toast for a few minutes. Pour in water and salt, bring to a boil and let simmer over medium heat until cooked.
When the semolina is done, pour in the cooked vegetables including water (careful it spatters), and quickly stir. Stir until the semolina is cooked and the upma is not sticking to the side of the pot any more. Serve with yoghurt.

Heat ghee in a big pot over moderate heat, when hot sprinkle in cumin sees and roast until a few shades darker. Then add asafoetida and turmeric, stiring constantly. Add the capsicum and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add zucchini and coriander and roast for another 2 minutes, stir occasionally. Add tomatoes and reduce heat. Let the veggis simmer until they are cooked, stir occasionally. When cooked add salt, sugar and parsley.

Rinse the soaked chick peas, and place them with 6 cups (they have to be barely covered) of water, a pinch of baking soda and a pinch of salt on high heat. As soon as they boil, lower the heat and cook until the chick peas are soft. (If you use the baking soda, it takes 30 minutes). Meanwhile in a separate pot, heat the ghee and fry the ginger and the chili until the ginger is turning brown. Then add the cumin seeds and shortly after the coriander and the asafetida. Stir well for one minute. Then add the cubed tomatoes, lower the heat and cover the pot. Stir occasional and let cook until the tomatoes have liquefied. Now add the methi.

When the chick peas are soft, drain out the water and fold the chickpeas under the tomato sauce. Add salt to taste. Serve with puris (if you have the patience to make them, I usually just make rice with it).

Heat the ghee or oil in a medium size saucepan. As soon as the ghee has melted add the ginger and the chili. As soon as the ginger is brown add the cumin seeds. Mix well. When the cumin seeds start sputtering add the coriander powder, the asafetida and the garam masala. Mix well. Now add the potatoes. Scape occasionally and leave in the open pot for about five minutes. Now add the water, the broccoli and the methi, stir well and cover the pot. Stir occasionally.

Rinse the adzuki beans and bring to a boil. Add the kombu and let simmer for 20 minutes on low heat. Now add the pumpkin and the soya sauce, (start with six tbsp)Let it boil for another 20 min. Then add the broccoli. Let boil for another 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the freshly chopped parsley.

Clean the broccoli, cut it into small florets and chop roughly. Heat the butter or the ghee in a saucepan, briefly roast the asafetida and the whole wheat flour. Add the broccoli and slowly pour the vegetable broth in. Let the soup simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes. At the end, add the sea salt, the pepper, ginger, cayenne pepper and the nutmeg.Now puree the soup. Then lift the crème fraiche under. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds just before serving.

Heat the ghee in a pot. Briefly roast the bay leaves, coriander, asafetida and turmeric and add the vegetable cubes. Sauté for 4-6 minutes while stirring constantly. Add the water, salt and pepper, cover the pot and let it boil on medium heat until the vegetables are tender. Remove the bay leaves, if you’d like to puree the vegetables.Melt the butter over medium heat in a small pot. Add the flour and mix for 1-2 minutes; then add the hot milk. Whisk this mix for two minutes, until that sauce is rather thick. Now mix the sauce with the soup and bring to a boil.

Wash, peel and cube the potates. Boil the potatoes in the vegetable broth until soft, approximate 14 minutes. In the mean time cut the pumkin in halves, take out the seeds and peel it. (Hookaide pumkin doesn’t need to be peeled). Cube the pumkin meat and roas it briefly in the hot butter. Then add the pumkin cubes to the potatoes and let boil together for antoher 10 minutes. Now mix in the cream and puree in a blender. Add the spices, the herbs and perhaps some sugar.

Wash the dhal in a sift and let dry. In a large casserole or a heavy pot bring the water, the salt, bay leaves and the cinnamon to a boil and then add the dhal. When the water boils again, cover the pot and let simmer for 20 minutes on medium heat. (Take the foam off that builds on the surface occasionally). The dhal has to be quite soft. Now add the butter, the turmeric and the cut vegetables and let cook until everything is soft.Heat the ghee in a small pan and add the cumin. As soon as the cumin turns brown, add the ginger and the asafetida and stir for seconds. Then pour the ghee into the soup and mix all. Serve the dhal hot with rice, vegetables, chapatis, 1/8 lemon and garnish it with chopped herbs. The dhal tarkari should be of thin liquidity, simply add some more water if it is too thick.

Roast the unwashed dhal in a heavy pot over medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Stir constantly until the dhal is slightly browned. Now pour the dhal in a sift and wash under running water. Now return the dhal into the pot. Add the water, the bay leaves, the butter and the salt. Bring to a boil on maximum heat, then uncover and let cook for 30 minutes on medium heat.When the dhal starts disintegrate heat the ghee in a small pot and add the mustar seeds. When they stop to sputter, quickly add one after another cumin seeds, ginger, asafetida and turmeric. Roast all for 20 seconds while stirring, then add the tomato pieces and turn for about 1-2 minutes with a cooking spoon. Add tomatoes and spices into the soup, cover the pot and let boil until the dhal is completely soft.At the end add the lemon juice and parsley. Mix well. This dhal goes well with bread or rice.

Wash the tomatoes and cut into eighth. Heat ghee in a heavy saucepan. Briefly roast the coriander, asafetida for a few seconds, then add the tomatoes. Let it cook on low to meadium heat for 10-20 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the peel comes off. Squish the tomatoes through a sift and pour them back into the saucepan. Now add the sugar the salt and the pepper.

In a second pot, heat the butter and brown the flour lightly. Slowly add the milk while continuing to let it boil (quickly whisk so that there will be no clumps). Now pour the tomato pure into the milk and stir well.

Wash and rinse the lentils. In a large saucepan bring the water with the lentils to a boil. Then add the turmeric, turn down the heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes or until the lentils are soft. In the meantime, heat the ghee. When the ghee is liquid add the chili and the ginger. Stir and let the ginger turn slightly brown. Now add the cumin seeds. Again, under stirring, let the cumin seeds turn brown. Now add the coriander powder and the asafetida. Mix well and then add to the lentils. Add salt to taste and sprinkle with the freshly chopped parsley.

Wash the yellow split peas and bring to a boil with the water on high heat. Add the tumeric, then turn down the heat and let simmer until the peas are soft (appro. 45 min) Tipp: If you add a pinch of baking soda to the simmering peas, they become soft much faster – the same works for all pulses) Add the cubed potatoes to the simmering peas after 30 minutes.While the potatoes are cooking, melt the ghee in a small saucepan. As soon as the ghee is liquid add the ginger and the chili. Under occasional stirring let the ginger turn slightly brown, then add the cumin, the fenugreek, the start anis, the cloves and the cinnamon stick. Again stir during 1-2 minutes, then add the asafetida, and the coriander powder.Mix for appr. 30 seconds before adding the cubed tomatoes. Stir the tomatoes and let them boil with the spices for ca. five minutes. Now add the quite liquid tomatoes to the peas and tomatoes. Add salt to taste and sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander.

Tipp: You can use the same spices and tomato sauce with mung beans. And cauliflower instead of yellow split peas and potatoes.

Mix the flour, butter, salt and baking powder. Knead with as much water until the dough becomes soft. Set aside at a cool temperature for 30 minutes. In the meantime wash the broccoli and cut into small florets. Peel the stems and slice them.. Now steam the broccoli for approximate 3-4 minutes. Dip the tomatoes in hot water, peel them, let cool off and dice them.
With 2/3s of the dough, cover the ground of a greased baking tin (24cm diameter). Shape a long roll and pull up along the edge of the baking tin. Pre-bake it in a preheated oven at 1800 for 10-15 min on the second lowest tray.

Meanwhile, cut the mozzarella into small pieces and mix it with the sour cream. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg, asafetida and Italian herbs to taste. Now cover the ground of the pre-baked crust with the bread crumbs and add the vegetables and then the cheese sour cream paste. Bake it in the hot oven at 180 C for 30-40 min (second lowest tray) and for the last 10 minutes directly on
the oven floor.

Sauté the vegetables in the butter and add the parsley, salt and pepper. For the Béchamel sauce: melt the butter in a pot and roast the flour in it until it is brown. Mix the milk and the cream and add to the flour while stirring it with a whisk (careful of lumps) Bring to a boil and add slat and nutmeg to taste. Grease a baking form and pour some sauce into it. Now add one layer of lasagna sheets. Spread one layer of vegetables, then cheese and again some sauce. Repeat this procedure three times. At the end cover everything with the sauce and cover it with cheese. Bake it in a preheated oven at 200o C for about 45 min.

Boil and peel the potatoes the day before. Mash them the following day. With your hands knead the flour, semolina, mashed potatoes and the salt. Now form 1�? rolls and cover them in flour. Then cut then into 3 cm large pieces and press down with a fork. Boil water in a large pot. As soon as the water boils turn it down, add the gnocchi and let them sit until they rise to the surface. Then lift them out of the boiling with a ladle.

Press the paneer under a weight. Later, cut it into cubes or knead well and roll small balls. Fry the balls/cubes in the hot ghee, until they are golden brown. After removing the fried balls from the
ghee and soak those in a liquid made from 2 cups of warm whey or water with 3 tsp salt and 2 tsp salt.
Heat the olive oil in a casserole, briefly roast the spices and then add the tomato puree. Let it boil on
medium heat until the liquid is somewhat evaporated. In the meantime, boil the pasta in the saltwater until
they are done or “al dente�?. Pour out the water. Now add the salt, sugar, perhaps some cream and the
Italian spices to the tomato sauce. Mix the pasta, the tomato sauce and the paneer balls.

With a hand mixer puree the basil leaves, salt and half of the olive oil. Now add the pine kernels and ¾ of the cheese and puree again. Add some water if the pesto becomes too thick.
Heat ½ tbsp olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Briefly roast the asafeotida and mix it under the pesto. Boil the pasta in salt water until done then mix everything together.

With the ingredients prepare a yeasted dough and let sit for 30 min. In a casserole, lightly roast the cumin and coriander in the warmed olive oil. Add the tomato puree and let boil until some liquid evaporates. Add the salt and the sugar and let cool.

Evenly spread the dough onto the baking sheet and cover it with 1 tbsp olive oil. Now pour the tomato
sauce on it and then distribute the pepper pieces and the zucchini. Cut the mozzarella into thin slices and
then cover the pizza with it. Top with the Italian herbs. Bake in a pre heated oven at 180 0 Celsius on
the middle tray for 25-30 minutes.

Mix the ingredients for the dough, knead well. Evenly distribute the dough in a round cake baking molt, forming a 2 cm high edge. Mix all ingredients for the filling and pour into the
dough. Bake in a preheated oven at 200 0 C for approximate 45 minutes.

Prepare the yeasted dough and let it sit. After 30 minutes knead it well. Now spread the dough over the baking tray. Steam the slivered cabbage, mix it with the 50 g of cheese and distribute it on top of the dough. Mix the cream with the sour cream, the grated
cheese and the spices and pour it over the cabbage. Let it sit in your oven on very low heat, 50 o C for 10 minutes to rise a little, then bake it for 30-40inuntes at 220 C or until golden brown.

In a pot bring water to a boil. Add cloves, cardamom, Nelken, Kardamom, ginger, tea and then bring cinnamon into pieces. Boil for 5 minutes and then drain in a sift. Bring milk to a boil in another pot and then add it to the tea. Now add sugar or honey.

Put ground almonds and saffron threads into a pot and pour the boiling water on top of it. Cover with a lid for 30 minutes. Pour half of the milk into a blender, add the almondwater and the sugar, blend. Then add rest of the milk and the ice cubes.

Precook the cauliflower florets for 5 minutes in boiling water. Pour ¼ l of the cauliflower water through a sift and keep aside. Place the florets and the peas in a greased baking dish. To make the sauce, heat the butter and stir in the flour. Stir for 2 minutes and then add the milk and the cauliflower water. Bring it to a boil and then add the salt, the curry and the nutmeg. Now pour the sauce over the vegetables and sprinkle the cheese over the top. Bake at 200 C in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes.

Soak the rye over night. Boil with the same water for 60 minutes. Then pour off the water and let the grains dry. Mix the cream and the sour cream and add the salt, asafoetida and the other spices. Now peel the potatoes and the carrots and mix them roughly with the cream and cheese mix. In a greased baking dish add alternately the rye and the potatoes-carrot mix. At the end, distribute the sliced mozzarella over everything and sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top. Bake the gratin on the second place from the oven ground for 45 minutes.

Melt the butter and roast the spices and the millet. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Now turn down the heat, cover the pot and let simmer for 20-25 minutes. When the millet is soft, mix in the steamed vegetables and then the cream. Now add everything into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese and bake at 2000 C for 15-20 minutes until golden. This gratin is best served with tomato sauce.

Steep the potatoes for 2 minutes and the zucchini for 1 minute in boiling water, then drain the water into a bowl. Now briefly dip the tomatoes into the hot water, peel and cut them into slices. In a greased baking dish place the potatoes, the zucchini and the tomato one layer after another. Add salt, yeast flakes and herbs to the cream and pour all over the vegetables. Mix the grated cheese with the bread crumbs and distribute evenly over everything.

Pour hot water over the tomatoes, peel and then cut them. Heat the ghee, add the spices and the aubergine and roast them together. After a few minutes add the zucchini with the salt and the pepper.Now add the tomatoe juice, ½ l water and the cous cous. Let it simmer for 20 minutes on low heat. 5 minutes before all is done, add the tomato pieces. If necessary, add some water.Serve with the sour cream

Add the potatoes in a bowl with the cumin, the coriander, the cayenne pepper, the tumeric and the salt. Mix well and then leave aside. Heat the ghee over medium heat in a non-stick pan. Add the mustard seeds and cover the pan immediately. After 30 seconds, or when the seeds have stopped sputtering add the potatoes. Stir them until all potatoes are equally covered with the ghee and are beginning to turn brown. Now add the beans, the lemon juice, the sugar and the water. At a high temperature bring everything to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer until the beans are soft. Add salt to taste.

Bring the milk to a boil in a large casserole. Add the lemon juice or yoghurt so that the milk curdles. Season with turmeric, coriander and salt. Now add 2 handfuls of oriental rice noodles and the cut vegetables. After another 5 minutes, add the peas. Mix in the pepper and the dill at the end.

Heat the ghee in a pot. Now roast the coriander , then add the ??? and the vegetables and roast everything. Pour in the water and, on medium heat, let everything simmer until done. You can puree all if you like. Add the salt and the herbs. Serve with sour cream or yoghurt.

Wash the rice and the dhal in a sift and let dry. Heat the ghee and roast the cumin and the ginger. After one minute add the ground cumin and the asafetida. A few seconds later add the cubed potatoes and the cauliflower florets or the green beans. Roast the vegetables for 4 minutes, while stirring with a wooden spoon. Now add the dried rice and dhal. Stir well. Pour in the water, the salt, the turmeric and the tomatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. As soon as all is boiling, turn the heat down and keep the pot partly covered. Let simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the dhal is soft. At the beginning, stir once or twice so that the rice doesn’t’ stick to the pot. At the end season with the pepper and mix all carefully with two spoons.

Best served with lemon juice, yoghurt or sour cream. Kitri goes well with hot puris.

Bring the water to a boil. Wash the dhal and let it drip a bit, then add it to the boiling water. Let it boil for 10 minutes. Take the foam off with a ladle. Let boil for another 15-20 minutes. (The dhal should be soft but not mushy).

Meanwhile, cut the vegetables into small pieces. Heat the ghee in a pot and roast the mustard seeds (cover the pot immediately). As soon as the seeds have stopped to sputter add the remaining ground spices. Roast for a few seconds and now add the vegetables. Stir for about 8 minutes, until the vegetables are slightly roasted. Add the coco nut and let roast for another 2 minutes.

Now mix the vegetables with the dhal, turn down the heat and let boil uncovered until the dhal disintegrates.